EU Fines Microsoft $613 Million, Officially

Decaffeinated Jedi writes "As reported by CNN.com, the European Union has hit Microsoft with a record US$613 million fine after a five-year investigation, finding the company guilty of abusing the 'near-monopoly' of the Windows operating system. Microsoft has been given 90 days to make a European version of Windows available without a media player and 120 days to give programming codes to rivals in the server market to allow 'full interoperability' with desktops running Windows. Microsoft plans to appeal the decision." Other readers point to coverage at the BBC, ZDNet, Reuters (here carried by Yahoo!), and abc.au.net.

poor poor SCO lawyers

[randalx]

poor SCO lawyers might have to take a pay cut now. :(

$613 Million?

[ksph2]

$613 Million? Shouldn't that be 496,796,042 euro?

if I were microsoft...

[dark404]

I'd make the stripped down version, and only sell it direct via snail mail order. </EVIL>

Re:Quite right too

[lordkimbot]

WMP?! 'Weapons of Mass Production'

They should all be banned!

Troll -1 :)

[joonasl]

"Steve Balmer commented, that the fine imposed by the EU is completely unreasonble, considering that you can buy a president in the US with much less." [opensecrets.org].

Re:I hope....

[ChuyMatt]

It took them forEVER to decide, do you think this bureaucratic behemoth (which i love and cherish) will be able to change course and reverse its decision? I am thinking not.

Re:But...

[Anonymous Coward]

500 Million here, 500 Million there, before you know it you're talkin' about some real money.

Re:Unbelievable

[Decaff]

Let's hope that the APIs that are published reveal as much embarrassing nerdy amateurism in MS as the release of undocumented APIs in previous versions of Windows. Who can forget the function names BEAR35, BUNNY73, PIGLET12 and the classic PRESTOCHANGOSELECTOR?

Re:The Question is: How are they going to pay?

[Anonymous Coward]

but will Microsoft try to use cupons, or "donate" software to schools, thus locking in more Microsoft users from a young age?

This just in: MS will pay the fine in SCO licenses...

Well, kinda

[c4miles]

A friend of mine (in the UK) got a speeding fine. He found an old local by-law that said he could pay the fine in live chickens, to the equivalent value.

Hilarity ensued, of course.

Re:Troll -1 :)

[isorox]

Of course from May you have to buy 25 EU member presidents

I doubt it...

[Aldric]

The right in Europe want their own monopolies to succeed, not an American monopoly.

Re:I hope....

[Anonymous Coward]

"Seriously, look at the stocks and see who turned upward when it was becoming clear just who we'd have in the whitehouse." OK, seriously, enough of this knee jerk pigeon brain shit already! I'm mean you'd think to listen to some of you people that GWB burned your fucking toast this morning, because he's in league with the "Big Toaster" manufacturing businesses. I swear you people are such retards sometimes, now look I know that GWB isn't perfect, but some of you mindless anti-Bush types would like to blame him for stubbing your toe on your sofa.

In response to this news

[kalirion]

Bill Gates was quoted as saying "Well, there goes my pocket change. Gotta hit an ATM sometime today."

Re:I hope....

[Tedium Unleased]

If you check the transcripts of the court proceedings, you were cited 213 times, 215 if you count references to "Worlds Most Installingest QuickTime Proponent". Your efforts are not in vain my friend, not in vain at all.

Re:Money?

[Illserve]

Within 120 days Microsoft is required "to disclose complete and accurate interface documentation

The real hangup here is that this means they'll have to *write* it, not just release it.

Re:I hope....

[aixou]

but the election of President Bush put an end to that.

Yes, and president Bush is the reason people have to die. and why this world is not peaceful. and why people get fat. and why people starve. and why people commit crimes. and why I just stubbed my toe.

I HATE HIM! /immense sarcasm

Re:Troll -1 :)

[Anonymous Coward]

In Spain, you can buy a new government sympathetic to your cause for just the price of a few pounds of explosive..

Re:Well, kinda

[saigon_from_europe]

Wow! How many chickens you may buy for 500M USD? Where will EU put all those chickens?

Would that require MS to buy all chicken farms in USA/EU, making thus a new monopolly?

Re:I hope....

[TGK]

There are, admittedly, some crazy people out there who think that all the wrongs in the world are the fault of Mr. Bush.

The more rational elements of the left repudiate these people, and appologise for their claims. All the wrongs in the world are not, in fact, the fault of President Bush.

But the overwhelming majority are :)

Media player on servers?

[blanks]

"without a media player and 120 days to give programming codes to rivals in the server market"

If your worried about what media player you have on your servers, you shouldn't be in charge of these servers in the first place.

Re:Before you start bashing EU as anti-American

[johannesg]

Yes, but we have it surrounded!

Re:I hope....

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

It took them forEVER to decide

Yeah, well, we thought it would be polite to wait for those guys across the pond to finish their go first. Terribly nice people, us Brits. :o)

Re:I hope....

[PCM2]

The US DoJ looked set to implement a proper solution just a few years ago, but the election of President Bush put an end to that.

Changes of government in European states are not infrequent and can change the direction of the whole loose alliance that is the EU. Don't overlook the possibility that if the EU's governments move to the right, this case may be damaged.

Don't worry -- President Bush is doing everything he can to prevent that happening.